lifestyle SUNDAY, JANUARY 29, 2017

FEATURES Actress dies at 94

arbara Hale, a movie actress who found her most Williams, who died in 1992, later gained TV fame as famous role on television as steadfast secretary star of "The Adventures of Kit Carson." Their son goes BDella Street in the long-running "" by his father's original name, . After her series, has died. She was 94. Hale was surrounded by RKO contract ended, Hale worked at other studios, usu- family when she died Thursday at her area ally as the adoring wife of the leading man. She played home, said Jaqueline Stander, an agent for Hale's son, opposite in "Jolson Sings Again," James actor William Katt ("The Greatest American Hero," Stewart in "Jackpot" and James Cagney in "A Lion Is in "Carrie"). "She was gracious and kind and silly and the Streets." In 1957, she joined the memorable cast of always fun to be with," Katt posted on his Facebook "Perry Mason" that included Burr as the defense attor- page Thursday, calling Hale a wonderful actress and a ney who solved his cases in the courtroom, William "treasure as a friend and mother."Stander declined to Hopper as investigator , William Talman as provide the cause of death. never-winning prosecutor Hamilton Burger and Ray Hale appeared in "Perry Mason" on CBS from 1957 Collins as police lieutenant Arthur Tragg. to 1966, winning an Emmy as best actress in 1959. "When we started, it was the beginning of women When the show was revived in 1985 on NBC as an occa- not working at home," Hale said in the 1993 interview. sional TV movie, she again appeared in court at the "I liked that she was not married. My husband, Bill, did- side of the ever-victorious lawyer played by Raymond n't have to see me married to another man, and our Burr. She continued her role after Burr died in 1993 and children didn't have to see me mothering other chil- was replaced by for the movies that con- dren." In the early 1970s, Hale took on another widely tinued into 1995. "I guess I was just meant to be a sec- recognized role, touting Amana Radarange microwave retary who doesn't take shorthand," she once quipped. Women not working at home ovens in TV commercials and print ads. Burr and Hale "I'm a lousy typist, too - 33 words a minute." "It hit every paper the next day: the Cinderella sto- were the only original cast members when the show Hale was born in DeKalb, Illinois, daughter of a land- ry," she recalled in a 1993 Tribune interview. resumed on NBC in 1985 in the movie format. Her son, scape gardener and a homemaker. The family moved "Of course they said it was a starring role. I had one line, William Katt, appeared in nine of the two-hour shows, to Rockford when she was 4, and she later took part in but you know about those things." The movie was a as the investigator son of Paul Drake. Hale's later films a local theater. But her goals were to be a nurse or jour- quickie, "Gildersleeve's Bad Day," but she went on to included the original "Airport," playing the husband of nalist. When her ambition turned to art she studied at appear with Pat O'Brien in "The Iron Major," Frank 's pilot character; "The Giant Spider the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, where she was often Sinatra in "Higher and Higher" and in Invasion," and "," in which she appeared sought as a model. Her work for a modeling agency "Lady Luck." Another co-star was a blond actor named with her son. — AP prompted an offer for a routine contract at the RKO stu- (real name: William Katt), with whom she dio in . When she reported to the casting appeared in "West of the Pecos" and "A Likely Story." director, he was speaking on the phone to someone They had met over coffee in the studio commissary who needed an immediate replacement for an actress and married in Rockford in 1946. The couple had three who was sick. children: Nita, William and Jody. Kurdish filmmaker cancels planned US visit over Trump’s actions

iting President Donald Trump's visa crackdown, Kurdish from the free discussion of their work, and equally essential of a young Yazidi couple preparing for their wedding when filmmaker Hussein Hassan has scrapped plans to attend that the world's artists are made to feel welcome in the United fighters from the Islamic State group attack their village. Cthe US premiere of his critically acclaimed film on the States." Hassan's move comes days after the Iranian star of the The movie was inspired by the true-life massacre of thou- Yazidi minority, it was announced Friday. Jaie Laplante, direc- Oscar-nominated film "The Salesman" said she would boycott sands of Yazidis after IS took over the Sinjar area in Iraq in tor of the Miami Film Festival, where the Kurdish-Iraqi movie the upcoming Academy Awards to protest what she calls August 2014. Thousands of Yazidi women were abducted and "The Dark Wind" is to be screened in March, said Hassan had Trump's racist policies. turned into sex slaves during the IS campaign. "The US are the decided to withdraw his visa application in protest at Trump's "Trump's visa ban for Iranians is racist. Whether this will closest and most important allies for Kurdistan," the film's pro- forthcoming executive orders that are set to suspend the US include a cultural event or not, I won't attend the ducer Mehmet Aktas said in a statement. "Now it seems to be refugee program and restrict visas to citizens of certain coun- #AcademyAwards 2017 in protest," tweeted Taraneh Alidoosti, impossible for a Kurdish artist to visit the US to present his This file photo shows Sir John Hurt posing with his tries, including Iraq, Iran, and Syria. the film's 33-year-old lead actress. Trump's impending execu- work. As an act of peaceful protest, Hussein Hassan decided to wife Anwen after being awarded a knighthood by "One of Miami Film Festival's core values is to bridge cul- tive order on visas is expected to ban citizens of Iraq, Iran, withdraw from his visa application. We as Kurdish filmmakers Queen Elizabeth II during an Investiture ceremony at tural understanding, to provoke thought and discussion, and Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from seeking entry hope that Donald Trump will acknowledge the Kurdish peo- Windsor Castle. — AFP 'The Dark Wind' is one of the most timely, moving and impor- into the United States for a month. He is also expected to sus- ple," Aktas said. — AFP tant films in this year's festival," Laplante said. "It is essential pend the US refugee program for four months as officials Veteran British that roadblocks not be put in place that will prevent artists draw up a list of low risk countries. Hassan's film tells the tale actor John The challenges female Hurt, 77, dies filmmakers face post-Sundance scar-nominated British actor John Hurt, known for his roles in "Elephant Man" and "Harry Potter", has ender equity in filmmaking must have counterparts. Gillian Robespierre made a writer, director and producer Zoe Lister-Jones Odied aged 77 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, looked pretty good to the women splash with her feature debut "Obvious Child" for her film "Band-Aid" hired an all-female his wife said Saturday. The versatile actor, who played Mr Gattending the Sundance Film Festival, in 2014, which eventually led to a production production crew. "I felt that they only way to Ollivander in "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" which concludes this weekend in Park City, deal that gave her the freedom to be able to really affect change was to completely sub- and in two other films in the series, passed away in Utah. But for many female filmmakers, com- quit her day job and focus full time on writing vert the system, especially in departments Norfolk, eastern England, on Wednesday, according to ing back down the mountain will mean a and directing. Her newest film, "Landline" was where you just very, very rarely see women - wife Anwen Rees Meyers. He starred in the movie adapta- return to an industry where the opportunity acquired by Amazon at this year's Festival in camera and grip and electric especially," tion of George Orwell's novel "1984" and played the role divide remains far more glaring. The statistics shortly after it premiered. Lister-Jones said. of Kane in "Alien", who dies when the creature dramatical- speak for themselves. At the 2017 festival, 34 For someone like Eliza Hittman, the trajec- Lister-Jones sees herself as being incredi- ly bursts from his chest in one of the most memorable percent of films were directed by women. In tory has been a little different. Her first fea- bly fortunate, but also notices men getting death scenes in movie history. the broader industry in 2016, however, ture "It Felt Like Love" debuted at Sundance more and bigger jobs after the festival than He was twice nominated for an Oscar, in the best sup- women accounted for only seven percent of in 2013. With each new effort, she tries to women. Colin Trevorrow's ascent from the Co-writer/producer Elisabeth Holm, left, pos- porting actor category for his performance in the 1978 film directors down a full two percent from 2015. push herself to move up another step on the Sundance indie "Safety Not Guaranteed" to es with director/co-writer Gillian Robespierre "Midnight Express" as Max, a British man imprisoned in "I keep wanting to believe that things ladder. She came first with a short, then "It "Jurassic World" and now "Star Wars: Episode at the premiere of the film ‘Landline’ at the Turkey, and for his starring role two years later in "Elephant have gotten better but according to this lat- Felt Like Love" played in the discovery sec- IX" is always cited as the primary example. Eccles Theater during the 2017 Sundance Man" about a severely deformed man in 19th century est report it's gotten worse," said director tion, NEXT, and now, with "Beach Rats" she's "You just don't see women having the same Film Festival in Park City, Utah. London. He received a BAFTA award for "Midnight Express" Karyn Kusama, who first came to Sundance in in the official US Dramatic Competition. She opportunities or having the same amount of as well as a Golden Globe in the best actor in a supporting 2000 with "Girlfight" and is back as a part of continues to hold down a job as a professor risk put on them," Lister-Jones said. The indie role category. Hurt's death was confirmed by his widow the anthology horror film "XX." "It's definitely to allow herself more freedom, but she'd also and studio divide might be the essential Anwen. "It is with deep sadness that I have to confirm that worth reminding people that despite incredi- like to move up in budget and cast. She's also point. Director and producer Roxanne my husband, John Vincent Hurt, died on Jan 25, 2017 at bly more difficult odds than even their male seen some of her male peers progress faster, Benjamin ("XX") said that she's always felt home in Norfolk," she said in a statement released by publi- very supported in the indie world, but that cist Charles McDonald. when it comes to making that "leap" to studio "John was the most sublime of actors and the most films or television, suddenly women start gentlemanly of gentlemen with the greatest of hearts and hearing things like, "if only you had more the most generosity of spirit. He touched all our lives with experience." joy and magic and it will be a strange world without him." "It's like, 'I've only been making films for 10 "Lord of the Rings" star Elijah Wood paid tribute to the years, no big,'" Benjamin said. "You see more actor, writing on Twitter: "Very sad to hear of John Hurt's of that leap of faith given to male directors." passing. It was such an honor to have watched you work, She resents, too, when studios respond with sir." Among many other tributes to flood in, American actor "training programs" for female directors just Chris Evans described Hurt as "remarkable." "John Hurt was out of film school, which neglects the one of the most powerful, giving, and effortlessly real "latchkey generation of filmmakers" who actors I've ever worked with Remarkable human being. U have been making it on their own for a will be missed," he wrote on Twitter. decade. Writer, actress and director Michelle Morgan in directing her first feature "LA Cinematic immortality Times" was most surprised to find a lack of Renee Willett, a cast member in ‘The Yellow Born on Jan 22, 1940 in Chesterfield, central England, support from other women. "The thing that it Birds,’ poses at the premiere of the film at Hurt first began his career as a teacher of drawing. But he highlighted for me is not that the industry Eccles Theatre during the 2017 Sundance quickly moved to a life on camera and, after entering the needs to embrace women, it's that women Film Festival in Park City, Utah. prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in need to embrace other women. It seemed London, he began his career in British film in the 1960s. But like the people who had the easiest time let- it was at the end of the 1970s when his career definitively ting me down were the women and it really took off following back-to-back roles in "Midnight Express" stuck with me ... My financiers were all men and "Alien." Hurt, who appeared in some 140 films, often and at one point two-thirds of them were playing supporting roles, also maintained a strong televi- women," Morgan said. sion presence, making appearances in cult British series While all are happy to talk about the issues "Doctor Who" among others. Directors Roxanne Benjamin, from left, Annie Clark, Jovanka Vuckovic and Sofia Carillo pose women face as filmmakers, most have a com- He also showed a lighter side, playing a parody of his for a portrait to promote the film, ‘XX’, at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival plicated relationship with the media's cover- Kane character in spoof sci-fi comedy "Spaceballs", direct- in Park City, Utah. age of the disparity. Simply, there's a lot of ed by Mel Brooks. The veteran US comic posted on Twitter chatter and not much change. "There are that he was "terribly sad today to learn of John Hurt's counterparts have in this business, women like her "It Felt Like Love" cinematographer more articles written about women in film passing. "No one could have played The Elephant Man repeatedly and routinely face consistent gen- Sean Porter. and television than there are women in film more memorably," he added. "He carried that film into der bias. I don't want to believe that it's true and television. And that's the bummer of it cinematic immortality. He will be sorely missed." The but if you look at the numbers, it is shameful- Complicated relationship with media all," said Robespierre. "We thought there actor, who received a total of four BAFTAs, was knighted ly true." In talking to some of the women at People often call her to ask about hiring would be more progress because there's so by Queen Elizabeth II in 2014. His cancer was diagnosed the Festival, no one's experience has been Porter, who recently shot "20th Century much attention. But that attention hasn't the following year but he did not give up his profession. exactly the same. For some, getting their first, Women." "It's funny that people responded to really equaled actual jobs." — AP For his final role, he played Father Richard McSorley in the second or third film made has been nothing the sensibility of that movie enough to hire biopic "Jackie", the story of the former American First but positive. him but nobody would in a way circle back to Director/writer/producer/actress Zoe Lister- Lady, which was released in December in the US. He was For others, biases have revealed them- me," Hittman, who is only happy for Porter, Jones poses at the premiere of the film however forced to pull out of a play last July on the advice selves in unexpected ways. But all wonder said. A few first-time directors premiering ‘Band Aid’ at the Eccles Theatre during the of his doctors. —AFP about that next step and whether the same films at the festival took it upon themselves 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, faith will be placed in them as their male to try to help be part of the change. Actress, Utah.— AP photos